What's been happening

So we are almost thru another week here in Guyana.  It has been challenging as there has been RAIN RAIN RAIN! Which means we don't get in the ministry...the whole purpose of coming! :(
On Wednesday morning a pioneer sister named Gayle Hendericks and I made arrangements to go on a bible study.  I was so excited.  I walked to our meeting point (in the pouring rain) and waited until a bus dropped her off to meet me.  We then waited for 20 minutes in the pouring, blowing rain before we walked back to our house and made some food instead!  I was completely drenched and hadn't gotten any service in.  I was kind of bummed but the food we made together was delicious. :)
This morning it rained on and off but, I was able to get in service anyway.  (Brandon stayed with the kids this time)  What a wonderful morning!!! I placed a Teach book, went on a bible study and in the whole morning we only covered three houses...people are THAT interested in learning about the bible!  It is amazing and so enjoyable to show them bible truths!!!  Last week I was able to informally witness and started a bible study with the woman that runs the internet cafe.  I am very happy and am looking forward to starting it with her after the holidays.
We can't believe how many people find out we are witnesses and ASK us for the Watchtower and Awakes!  They love to read them!  It gives such a good foundation to continue the conversation and try to determine how we can help them learn more about Jehovah.  I had a taxi driver who was thrilled that I had the latest copies and took 4 magazines as he loves reading them!
Well, that is what has been happening for us.  The internet cafe is closed until Wednesday so I am sure by then we will have many more pics and things to share.
We LOVE getting comments and emails from all of our friends back home. It truly makes our day!  We love and miss all of you very much!
Brandon, Angelique, Jace, Kaden and Rayah

We took a poll.....

WHAT WE MISS :

 (in random order)

• South Dayton Donuts!
• Pizza and chicken wings!
• Salads
• Jace's teacher: Mrs. Thomas :)
• Kaden's teacher: Mrs. Sadowski
• Family!!!
• Dishwasher (not named Angelique :)
• We miss the Creamers!!!!
• Apples (It turns out we could and did get apples but, it took a little while for us to locate them!)
• Fresh/free drinking water

WHAT WE LOVE HERE:

• Fresh fruit
• The sun
• We found a place that sells chocolate! (Brandon bought the largest chocolate bar I have ever seen yesterday!)
• How loving and hospitable the Brothers and Sisters are
• Learning to completely rely on Jehovah (because we have to!) and "working our faith muscles" we have never had to use before this trip! ~ Sister Sanches
• THE MINISTRY!!! (they drop everything they are doing to talk with us!)
• The appreciation and respect the Guyanese have for the bible

(this list will continue to grow and we will update it as it does)  :)

The Circuit Assembly

You probably noticed some pics from the Circuit Assembly here in Guyana.  I just wanted to say a little bit about the experience of attending an assembly in a third world country.

There were around 1500 people in attendance and it was all bleachers seating.  So we had no backs to our seats and within about 20 minutes we couldn’t feel our backsides anymore!!! :)  Especially after holding the kids who naturally, would pass out on our laps at some point during the day.  I never realized just how luxurious our seating is at our assembly hall back home! The second day a loving sister lent me a foam pad so I could have some cushion while  Rayah slept all morning.  I was so thankful and never so glad to have a cushion in my life!!!!  :) Also, it was outside so we were exposed to the sun at times but umbrellas took care of that pretty well.  There was a constant breeze so it wasn’t stifling hot, as it can be here. 

It may sound strange but even the stadium seating in some ways added to the experience of attending an assembly in Guyana.  Everything was different, some things were slight, some things much more noticeable.  For instance, there was no mother’s room and there was one bathroom for each gender.  It wasn’t the best conditions for a bathroom so it rarely had a line! Pretty much everyone I talked with was trying not to consume too many liquids so they wouldn’t need to use the facilities! The other very noticeable thing was how no one walked around during the sessions.  Everyone remained in their seats not wanting to miss any of the information.  When Rayah did go into a full blown meltdown there was one other sister with her baby and I who were the only people I could see walking around. 

The other really noticeable thing was all the Missionaries and Special Pioneers we got to meet personally.  I had never met missionaries before.  They were of course, very loving, humble and  fascinating people to get to talk with.  One couple that we met (who were in our pics  also) was Tom and Michelle Sanchez.  They had been missionaries who graduated I think in class of 99 (maybe, I can’t remember the exact year but that is close I’m sure) anyway they had served in Dominican Republic and then in Guyana when Tom became very very ill.  So they came off the missionary status until he was able to find a successful treatment.  That was 6 years ago and now they are still serving in Guyana as “self supported missionaries” which means they still put in the hours of (if I remember correctly 130 hours per month) however, they are responsible to financially sustain themselves, at this point.  It was remarkable to spend time with them.  Between the two of them they conduct 43 bible Studies PER WEEK!!!!  I could not believe it when they told us.  Clearly Jehovah is using them and they are helping so many different people!  They were truly delightful and we felt privileged to meet and spend time with them!  We are hoping to be able to visit them and Michelle’s brother and sister in law, Mike and Lara Alston(who we have a link to their AWESOME blog – you should check it out!) in the Brighton Congregation.  It’s quite a drive from here, at least 3 hours from what we have heard from taxi drivers.  Hopefully we will be able to fit it in before we leave.

So those were some of our observations from the assembly.  Thank you to all of you who have emailed us or posted comments.  It has been very encouraging to us and helps us feel a little closer to you despite being so far away.  We do miss home but are excited about the rest of our trip! 

We’ll keep you posted! 

Warm, Christian Love, 

Brandon, Angelique, Jace, Kaden and Rayah

we meant to add this in the post with pics but it got overlooked...we think the picture says it all!!!

 

 

 

Getting Settled....well sort of

(this is another prewritten post I haven’t had time to put up- I wrote it a week ago)

So this has been quite and adventure thus far.  We have been here for 1 week today. 

We arrived at the Haslington  congregation area and the brothers had been searching for some time for a furnished apartment or house.

They were struggling to find one and the day we came they found a place that would at least give us shelter.  That’s about all it did.  It had some very serious issues that affected the health of the children (mold etc.) among other things that were just not good.

So we went to Jehovah in prayer, specifically explaining how we needed to find another place to stay – and quickly!  After the next meeting we were moved out of the apartment and in with a family in the congregation.  The Persaud’s (yes, just like the name of the Dr. who delivered Rayah for us J  Their home is beautiful enough to be in a magazine!  They made us feel right at home and almost immediately all the children’s strange symptoms started going  away.  What a relief!  It was very emotional for us.

So again the brothers were searching for a home for us to rent.  We began hunting also.  Brandon walked several villages asking each person if they knew of somewhere we could rent.  The Guyanese are very helpful.  They tried and tried.  Each house we called on had “just been rented, yesterday”  That happened to us at least 10 times.  It was very frustrating.  We just kept praying to Jehovah.  We needed a place of our own so we could get all of us on a routine.

We started thinking we might need to change congregations so we could find housing or worse have to go back home all together.

So we kept praying and praying.

We had arrangements  to go look at houses about 2 hours away (we were sad about leaving haslington but we were desperate)

All of the sudden- OUT OF THE BLUE a brother and sister who are pioneers here were asked to join the Kingdom Hall building crew full time- starting Monday. (it is a new program put into place here, remodeling and building KH’s .They don’t call it RBC work but that is what it equates to in the States)

Soooo, they need someone to watch their house for as long as we need one!!!

Did I mention, within walking distance of the Kingdom Hall, the children can play both inside and out comfortably and it’s furnished?!

We had decided after the assembly and no later than Monday we would make a decision. 

We are thrilled!  What an answer to our prayers!

PICS!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

on bus to Gtown

Brother Dinoo showing us his muscles!

with Tabitha Dinoo

Mall!

The man reading his bible at the zoo

The kids LOVE Jean Singh!!!!

Frank - A brother we met from Suriname

Sister Hallenbeck (missionary) on left then sisters from Mabarumba needgreating from England

At Assembly

Tom and Michelle Sanches, awesome people we loved having dinner with after the assembly!!!

After the assembly a brother let the kids try out his ride!!! (they even drove a little)

Hallenbecks- Missionaries from Canada serving in Guyana

Michelle Sanches- Missionary in Guyana

very rainy day

Studying in a hammock, a first for me!

making Roti

Studying with the boys!

Jace is an excellent roti maker!

Our completed meal! My teacher : Jean Singh

Cutie! (with boo boos, the boys accidentally knocked her down with the hammock- she was very bruised :(

First day in service with Sister Mavis Persaud

Raj and Jean on their way to meet the group

Jace having so much fun with Raj!

makeshift closet

critters we have encountered

with the District Overseer and his wife in Trinidad

The first day we were here, Jace asked to share a scripture with the 3 children who lived upstairs! We were so proud of him and amazed at his zeal all on his own initiative!

We had "visitors" for our family worship! :)

Brother Persaud climbed a tree to get us the five finger!

How to make roti---- throw it up in the air and make it fluffy